Apparatus for restoring blemished moving-picture films.



y UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

' FREDERICK W. HOCHSTETTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PAUL lVI.PIERSON, OF

SCARBOROUGH-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEW YORK.

i 'APPARATUS FOR RESTORING BL'EMISHED MOVING-PICTURE FILMS.

' To all whom 'it may concern:

1511 moving'picture lms when the photography f is impaired by f itbecomes hardand brittle. This is accom- 5. efficient form of carryinginto practice my Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HoonsTE'rTER, asubject of the Emperor of Gren many and a resident of New York, countyand tate of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatusfor Re storing B lemishedll Moving-Picture Films, ofl which thefollowing is a full, clear,` and exact specification.

This invention relatesto a class of processes fortreating impairedmoving picture films.

My 'invention has for its object primarily to provide .means forrestoring blemished ofthe pictures is blurred by oxids of silver.

salts, or when the transparency of the film deposits of foreignsubstances, such as particles of dust,l oil spots andthe like, as wellas for softening the texture ofthe emulsion on the film when plishedmainly .by providing one or more single, or one or more pairs. ofribbon-like cleaning buffers or strips and mechanism whereby a film istransmitted in frictional contact with the strips so that successiveparts ofthe film will be engaged by successive portions. of the stripsand so that .the parts ofthe strips which have contacted with the ilmwill not recontact therewith, in.order to prevent the foreign substancescleared from the film from being redistributed thereon, a number of thebuEer strips being preferably provided with a cleaning material which isdistributed in consecutive quantities on consecutive parts of the filmwhile the other buffer-strips serve to remove the material therefrom.The foreign substances on the film and the texture of its emulsion willthereby be subjected to the softening influence of the cleaning materialand by its subsequent removal the transparency of the pictures andiiexibility of the film will'be restored.

A further object of the invention is to provide vone or a numberI ofpresser devices for yieldingly holding .parts o'f the buffer- -stripsand the.v film in frictional contact.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described with reference to the ac companying drawingswhich illustrate an method for restoring moving picture films.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917..

lamamantarined.september 22, 1914. serial No. 862,925.

ln the drawings7 Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of machineadapted to be employed in carrying out my invention.

Fig'. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine, part of which isfragmentary. A

F'g. 3 i's a view taken on the line III-Hli of Fig. 2.

Fig. iis an enlarged fragmentary view looking downward upon one of thepresser elements used in the machine.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a side elevation of thepresser element illustrated in Fig. 4, and4 Fig. 6 is a section, partlyin detail, taken on the line Vl-Vf of Fig.'4. j

The form of machine prefer to employ in practice for carrying into eectmy `in`- vention has, as illustrated in the drawing, a substantiallysquare frame 10 constructed with two spaced uprights 11 and 12, and

between these uprights are three transversely disposed bars 13, 14, 15in spaced relation one above the other, all ofwhich may be supported ona. suitable base. Ex#

tending outwardly from the transverse bar 13 is a shelf 16,' and alsolprojecting outwardly from the transverse bar 14is av second shelf 17.

On the upper end of the frame 10 at the juncture of the upright 11 withthe transverse bar 15 is a delivery reel 18 on which is wrapped theblemished film, `as 19, adapted tobe transmitted through the machine fortreatment to remove the blemishes to receive the restored film after itis transmitted through the machine. When the blemished film ispositioned in the machine for being treated it is guided from thedelivery reel 18 under a roller 23 rotatably arranged on the front ofthe transverse bar 14, and the film. is passed between two small rollers24, 25 also provided in this transverse bar adjacent to one end of theshelf 17. The film is then directed over the shelf 17, under a smallroller 26 on the other end of the transverse bar v14, and the film isguided over the wheel 27-held on.- a shaft 28 journaled in the upper endof the upright 12 of theframe of the machine so as to be adapted to berevolved for feeding the nlm, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained. F rom the'wheel 27 the film is passed over a small roller onthe upright 12 in close proximity to the roller 26, after which ,thefilm is passed over a roller 30 arranged on this upright contiguous tothe shelf 16 of the transverse bar 13j The film is guided over the shelf16, over rollers 31 and 32 provided 4on the upright 11 of the frame, andthe film is then delivered to the .receiving reel for being wrappedthereon.

Serving to transmit the film through the projecting upwardly from thecentral part of the rear of the transverse bar 13 is journaled a shaft34 on which three pulleys 35, 36, 37 of different diameters are heldthesmall pulley v37 having three grooves in its periphery.

Over the pulley 35 is guided a belt 38 which passes over the drivepulley of an electrically operative motor, as 39, by which the machinemay be driven, though any other lsuitable power instead thereof may beemployed for operating the machine Over the pulley 36 is passed a belt40 which is guided over a pullev 41 held on the rear end of the sha'ft21 of the receiving reel 22 so that this reel may be rotatedsimultaneously with the operation of the machine; In one of thegrooves'of the pulley 37 is passed a belt 42 which is also passed over apulley, or grooved crank-wheel 43 held on one end of a bolt, or

shaft 44 which i'srotatable in.an arm 45 eX- tending upwardly from thetransverse bar 14of the frameofthemachine and in proximity to the wheelA27. To the crank-wheel 43 is eccentrically pivotedvone end of a rod 44having its otheriend slidably pivoted in the slot 45 of the vertical armofa substantially T-shaped lever 46 which is rotatably held on the shaft28 of the wheel 27 so that the' vertical* arm of the T-shaped lever maylie-swung transversely to alternately move the cross-arms of thislever-in upward and,

downward directions. Also on the shaft 2S is a vcogwheel'47 formed withV-shaped .peripheral teeth which are movably engaged by two pawls 48 and49, one being pivoted to each of the cross-arms of the lever 46 so as toengage oppositie parts of the cogwheel. The ends of the pawls 48 and 49in engagement with the cogwheel are beveled to permit these pawls torotate the cogwheel from..

left to right for correspondingly revolving the shaft 28 and the wheel27 when the T- shaped lever is swung, as above mentioned, by the rod 44and the crank-wheel 43. The crank-wheel 43 is rotated by the belt 42which is driven by thev rotation of the 'this stud of the Awheel 60 is aroller lbolt journaled in the doublegrooved pulley 3T and the shaft 34,

through the driving of the belt 38 by the motor 39. The rotation of tl cwheel 27 by the operation of these parts in this manner will transn'iitthe ihn from the delivery reel 18 under the roller 23, over the'shelf17, over the roller 26, over the wheel 27, over the roller 2f), over theroller 3U, over the shelf 16, over the rollers 31, 32, and to thereceiving reel 22 which is driven by the pulley 4l, belt 4U, and thepulley'frli when operated by the rotation of the shaft 34, To hold thefilm properly on the wheel 27 to the bolt, or shaft #I4 of the pulley 43is held one end of an arin 50 having a` curved shoe, as 51, providedwith a strip of felt,l or like soft material, as 52, on its undersideand this arm and shoe are disposed on the top of the wheel 27 so thatthe strip of felt of the shoe rests on the film in a n'ianne'r to permitfree -moveinent of the lfilm `when passed through the machine.

In order to remove from the blemished film the oxids of silver salts ofthe pictures which may be produced by the heat focused thereon lwhen thefilm is transmitted through a projecting apparatus, and to also clearthe film of all particles of dust and oil spots deposited thereon aswell as serving to restore the flexibility of the film which oftenbecomes hard and brittle by use, the

film when transmitted through'the machine is caused to be movedvinfrictional contact with one or more single, or one or more pairs ofribbon-like buffers or'strips, as 53, 54, 55, 56, of flannel, felt,plush, or any other soft material adapted to wipe and buff the film.lThe buffer-strip 53 is delivered to the machine from a reel 57 rotatableon a stud or bolt held to the transverse bar 13 of the frame 10 inproximity to the upright 11 of the frame and from this reel thebuffer-strip is guided over a roller 58 arranged on this bar at one endof the shelf 16. The buffer-strip 53 is then passed over the shelf 16 soas to be moved in frictional contact with the underside of the film,after which itis passed over a roller 59 on the transverse bar 13 at theother end of the shelf 16. This buffer-strip is guided over aperipherally toothed wheel 60 held on a stud or bolt `iournaled in this(transverse bar adjacent to the upright 12 of the frame of the machine,and also on toothed wheel is a pulley 6l. From the toothed wheel 60 thebufferstrip passes toa receiving rcel 62 held on a stud or boltjournaled in the upright12 of the frame 10 contiguous to the toothedwheel, and also on the stud yof the receiving reel is a pulleyv 63. Incontact with thc buffer-strip 53 as it moves over the toothed 64 held ona stud or transverse bar 13 adjacent to the toothed wheel, so as to befric- 4 16, and on the stud in frictional of this roller is held apulley 65. Qver the l pulleys 63 and 65 is guided a slip beltv 66. Thebuffer-strip 54 is delivered ltothe machine from a reel 67 rotatable ona stud or bolt held to the upright 11 of the frame 10 somevvhatabove theshelf 16, and from this reel the buffer-strip is guided 'over a roller68 arranged ,on the frame of themachine adjacent to the roller 58. Thebufer-strip is then passed over the shelf 16 so as'to be contact Withthe top surface of the film, after Which it is passed over aperipherally toothed 'Wheel 69 held on a stud or` -bolt journaled in theupright 12 of the frame of the machine above the shelf a double pulley70. From the toothed Wheel 69 the buffer-strip 54f`passes to a receivingreel 71 held on a stud or bolt journaled in the upright 12 of the frame10 above the toothed Wheel, and also on the stud of this receiving reelis a pulley 72. ln contact with the toothed Wheel 69 is Va roller 73held on a stu'd or'bolt journaled in the frame of the machine belovx7the toothed Wheel so as to be frictionally rotated by this Wheel; and on-the stud of this roller is held a pulley 74.. Over the pulleys 72 and74 is guided.'

a slip belt 75. ln this manner the bufferstrips 53 and 54 are adapted tobe guided across the shelf 16y in an opposite direction to thetransmission of the film, and to move the buffer-st`rips 53 and 54through vthe machine simultaneously Wrththe transmission of the film.Inthe second groove of the pulley 37 lof the shaft 34 and over thedouble pulley 70.18 guided a belt 76. Also over the pulleyandover thepulley 61 on the stud of the toothed Wheel a'belt '77, thus When thefilm is transmitted through the machine,vas above described, the drivingof the shaft 33, the rotation of the pulley 37 lto Wheel 69, the doublepulley 70, the roller 73', the pulley 74, the belt 75, the pulley 72,

and the receiving reel 71 vvill be driven so that thebuffer-strip 54Will be moved across the vshelf 16 in frictional-contact With vthe topsurface of the film and in an opposite direction thereto. Simultaneouslywith the operation of these parts the belt 77 will be driven to impartrotation to the pulley 61,

the toothed Wheel 60,- the roller 64, the pulf ley 65,' the belt 66, thepulley 63, and the receiving reel 62 so as to likewise transmit thebuffer-strip 53 over the shelf 16 in'frictional contact With theundersurface of the film. The `buffer-strip 55 is deliveredv to themachine from a reel 78 rotatable on a stud or bolt held to thetransverse'bar14 of 'the frame of the machine in proximity to one end ofthe shelf 17, and from' this reel the buffer-strip is guided over aroller 79 arranged on this bar at 'one end ofthe 83 in contact with theof this toothed Wheel is' 60 is guided' drive the belt76, the toothed-Wheel.

shelf. rllfhe' buffer strip 55 is then passed over the shelf 17 so as tobe moved in frictional` contact with the underside of the film whentransmitted over -this shelf, after which it is passed over the roller25 on the transverse bar 14 at the other end of the shelf; r1`hebuffer-strip is guided over a peripherally toothed Wheel 81 held on astud or bolt journaled in this transversezbar, and also on'the stud ofthe toothed Wheel is a double pulley 82. From the toothed Wheel 81 thebuffer strip is guided over a roller buffer-strip asv it moves over thistoothed Wheel so as to be frictionally revolved bythe Wheel, and thisroller is `held on a stud or bolt journaled in the frame 10. Also on thestud of the roller 83 is va pulley 84. The buffer-strip -55 is deliveredfrom the roller 83 to a receiving reel 85 held on a stud or boltjournaled 'in the upright 11 of the frame of the machine, I

` buffer-strip 56 passes over the shelf 17 .so' `as to be moved infrictional contact With the nlm when transmitted the top surface of overthis shelf, after which it s passed over the roller 24, then thebuffer-strip is directed upwardly and passed over a. peripherally-A,toothed Wheel 90 held on a stud or bolt journaled in the transversebar 15 of the frame of the machine, and on the stud of this toothedwheel is a double pulley 91.

this reel the buffer- From the toothed Wheel 90 the buffer-strip 56 isdelivered to a receiving reel 92 held on a stud or bolt journaled in thetransverse b ar 15, and on this stud is a pulley 93. ln contactvvith thebuffer-strip 56 as it moves over the toothed Wheel 90 is a roller 9,4adapted to be frictionally rotated by the The roller 94 is held' on astud or bolt journaled in the transverse bar 15, and also on this studis -a pulleyl95 having a slip belt 96 guided thereover as Well as overthe pulley 93. The buffer-strips 55`and 56, like the Strips 53 and 54,are adapted to be moved across the` shelf 17. in an opposite directionto the transmission of the film, and to transmit thebuff'erfstrips 55and 56 Aalso in unison With the movement of the film, in the thirdgroove of the pulley 37 of the shaft 34 andover the doublepulley- 82 isguided a belt 97. Also over the pulley 82 and over the double pulley 91is guided a belt g8. The belts 97 and 98 Will be driven when he film Iand the buder-strips 53 and 54 are transmitted through the machine, as

hereinbefore mentioned, by the dri-ving of the buffers to contact withboth surfaces of the shalt e and the rotation of the pulley 87 thereon.rlie toothed wheel 81, the pulley 82, the roller the pulley Sil, lthebelt 87, the pulley 86, and the receiving reel 85 will then be operatedto transmit the bufferstrip 55 over the shelf 17 from 'the receivingreel78, in frictional contact with the undersurface of the film. 1,Vith theoperation of these parts .of the pulley 91, the toothed wheel 90, theroller 94, pulley 95, the belt 96, the pulley 93, and the receivingreel,92 will also be operated to transmit the buffer-strip 56 over theshelf 17 from the receiving reel 88 in frictional contact with l the'topsurface of the film, the belts 66, 75,

' 87, 96 serving not only to drive the sets of pulleys 63 'and 65, 72and 74, St and 86, 93 and 95; respectively, but these belts are alsoadapted to slip on their pulleys sufficiently to allow for the gradualincrease of strain on the buffer-strips as the diameters thereofincrease while being wrapped on their receiving reels, therebyregulating the strain -on the. bufferfstrips to prevent breaking thereofas Well as serving to closely wrap the Vbuffer-strips on the receivingreels.

' y:so

, JThe buffer-strips 55 and 56 are preferably provided with a cleaningsubstance,

`such as a grease solvent inthe form of an oil, or a fatty mass likepetrolatum which may be mixed With'alcohol, or ether, and in instancescamphoror other solvents may be used .in conjunction therewith so astoeificien'tly free theblemished pictures of the film of all oxids ofsilver salts as well as clear the fllm of all particles of dust, spotsof oil, and other foreign matter. When the film and the buffer-strips 55and 56 are transmitted over the shelf 17 of the frame of the machine thecleaning substance is frictionally rubbed into the surfaces of the filmfor clearing it of all the foreign matter and also for softening thetexture of the film Which may have Vbecome hard and brittle by passingthrough a projecting apparatus. -By then transmitting the film betweenthe buffer-strips 53 and 54 which are free of any cleaning substance'the film will be cleared of all surplus of the cleaning substance asWell as being buffed to also remove any scratches in the emulsion of thefilm besides clearing the pictures thereof.

In order to remove from the film all surplus of dust, or the like beforebeing subjected to the cleaning substance of the bufferstrips 55 .and56, the film may bepassed bey tween two circular bulfers or Crushers, as

99 and 100. The circular buffers 99 and' 100 may be of hair, felt, orother soft material, and these buffers are held. on studs Aor boltsjournaled at spaced intervals one .above the other in thetransverse bar14 of the frame of the machine in proximity to the delivery reel 18 topermit the peripheral edges of be driven to revolve the buffersimultaneously therewith, andthe film will be freed of part of theforeign matter thereon before being treated by the cleaning substance.

For the purpose of .holding the bufferstrips and the film in yieldingfrictional contact when transmitted over the shelves `16 and 17 of themachine, presser devices,

as 105 and 106, are provided. Each of the presser devices has twosupporting rods 107 and 108 arranged in spaced parallel relationlongitudinally above each of the shelves 16 and 17, respectively, of themachine, and

through the end part of each supporting rodA is an opening 109. Theapertured ends of the pair of supporting rods 107 and 108 of the presserdevice 105 are disposed on brackets 110 andv111 secured on the frame ofthe machine at the ends ofthe shelf 16 to spacethis Jair of the rodssomewhat above the shelf, andthe apertured ends of the pair ofsupporting rods 107 and 108 of the presser device 106fare disposed onbrackets 112 and 113 also secured on the frame of the machine at theends of the shelf 17 to space these rods somewhat above this shelf. Atspaced intervals on the pair of rods 107 and 108 of the presser'device105 are twoI sets of weights, or blocks, of metal, as 114 vand 115, andon the pair of rods 107 and 108 of the presser device 106 is one set ofsimilar weights, or blocks, of metal, as 116.

posed alongside thel Wide Weights of the adjacent set, Aand to hold theWeights of,

The weights of each set may be substantially rectangular in shape, andthrough the weights of each set are vertically dis osed registeredopenings1117 through -vvhic one of the rods is disposed, the openings ofall the. weights being larger than'the rods to allow the weights .to beraised or lowered on their rods independently of one another to and fromthe shelves 16 and 17. The f weights of each set are in movable abuttingarrangement, and the opposed edges ,of the weights of each set are alsoin movable abutting arrangement. If desired the weights of each set maybe of dilferent Widths, as shown, so that when assembled on the rods thenarrowwveights of one set will be` dis- .eachpair of sets on thesupporting rods when thus assembled from each of the rodsv at the endsof each set of Weights are projectmg pins, as 118 and. 119, Whereb theWeightsl may freely move in upwar and memes downward directions, vbutthe weights vill be prevented from lateral movement on the rods. In thismanner each'set of the weights normally rest on top of the bufferstripsand the film while being transmitted over the shelves Il'jandl 17` tohold the strips in fric- .tional contact with the film, at the same timeallowing free transmission of'the strips and the film. By providingthese forms of the presser devices the edges of the buffer-strips willbe prevented from curling and traveling irregularly over the shelves,thereby propl erly cleaning and buffing the surfaces of the film. lnorder to permit the presser devices 105 and 106 to be raised above theshelves .16 and 17 to allow the film and the bufferstrips to be arrangedthereon,I through the openings 109 of each of the supporting rods 107and108 are disposed posts 120 and 121 of spring metal. The lower end ofeach of the posts 120 and 121 is fixed to the bracket supporting itsrespective end of the rod thereof, and each spring post is of a sizewhereby the rod may be moved upwardly thereon. The upper parts ofthespring posts of each of the supporting rods are dis-- posed slightlytoward each other so that when the rods and the sets of weights areraised above the shelves 16 and 17 they will be yieldingly held for thefilm and the buffer-strips to be arranged on the shelves, after whichthe rods and the weights are reversely moved to their normal positions.

on the strips and the film. Thus by transmitting the strips and the finnin this manner through the machine successive parts of the film will beengaged by successive portions of the buffer, or cleaning strip, so thatof restoring picture films may be eectually pairs of buffer-strips whichpractised by the employment of other forms of machines or apparatuswherein the film is passed in frictional contact with one or more singlebuffer-strips, or one orv more -may be moved synchronously with thefilm, or the bufferstrips may be held stationary if desired, therefore lreserve to myself the right to use 'any suitable means for transmittinga blemished moving picture film in frictional contact with a ribbon-likebuffer or strip so that parts of the strips which haue contacted withthe film will. be prevented from re-contacting therewith.

Having thus described .my invention, l' claim as new and desire tosecure" by Letters Patentz# 1. ln a machine -for cleaning moving picturefilms, the combination with a'storagev reel and a receiving reel, of acleaning web carried thereby, of means for moving said web, and meansfor intermittently transmitting a film in frictional contact with saidmoving web. -v

2. ln a machine for cleaning moving pic.- ture films, the combinationwith a plurality of storage andreceiving reels, of a plurality ofcleaningY webs carried thereby, means for bringing successive portionsof said webs into `juxtaposed position, and means for transmitting afilm longitudinally of and in frictional contact with the juxtaposedportions of said webs.

3. ln a machine for cleaning moving picture films, the combination witha plurality of storage and receiving reels, of a plurality of cleaningwebs carried thereby, means for moving said webs in opposite directionsand bringing successive portions thereof' into juxtaposed position, andmeans for transmitting a film in frictional contact with said oppositelymoving webs..

4. in a machine forcleaning moving picture films, strip,frictionalcontact therewith, and gravityv controlled means formaintaining the strip in yielding engagement with .the film.

5. ln a machine for cleaning moving picture films, the cpmbination witha cleaning strip, of means for transmitting a film in frictional contacttherewith, and means for maintaining vthe strip in yieldingenthecombination with a cleaning' of means for transmitting a film ingagement with the film, said last mentioned means comprising avertically movable weight. l

6. ln a machine for cleaning moving picture films, the. combination witha cleaning strip, of means for transmitting a4 film in frictionalcontact therewith, means for maintaining the strip in yieldingengagement with the film, and means whereby said last mentioned meansmay be held in inoperative position.

7. ln a machine for restoring 'blemished :moving picture films,.thecombination of a Jcleaning strip, means and means for transmitting afilm in frictional contact therewith under pressure synchronously withthe movement of the strip and in an opposite vdirection thereto.

8. In a machine for restoring blemished moving picture films, thecombination of a cleaning strip, means for moving the strip, and meansfor transmitting a film in frictional contact therewith under pressuresyn-v chronously with the movement of the strip and in the samedirection. 1

9. ln a machine for restoring blemished moving picture films, thecombination of a pair of cleaning strips, the strips inoppositewdirections,,and means vfor transmitting a film in frictionalcon- .'means for moving tact with the strips under preure synchronouslywith the movement of said strips.

successive portions thereof into parallel position, and means forintermittently transmitting a film between the parallel portions 15 ofsaid strips and maintaining the same in frictional contact therewith.

This specification signed and witnessed this twenty-first day ofSeptember A. D. 1914.

FREDERICK W. HOCHSTETTER. vWitnesses: Ro'r. B. ABBOrr, M. DERMODY.

